Coach Cal: "I don't walk on water"

Memphis coach John Calipari yells at officials during the first half of a men's NCAA college basketball tournament regional semifinal against Missouri in Glendale, Ariz., Thursday, March 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - John Calipari cautioned the Kentuckyfaithful that he was not the "grand poobah" or "emperor" - evenif his eight-year, $31.65 million contract as the Wildcats' newcoach pays him like one. Before his introductory news conference Wednesday, Kentucky'sathletics board approved the contract that will make Calipari thehighest paid coach in the nation. Athletic director Mitch Barnhartdefended the salary, saying that the university paid a premiumprice to lure Calipari away Memphis because he "can flat outcoach." "I'm a regular guy, folks," Calipari said. "I do not walk onwater; I do not have a magic wand." He might need to find one. Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie onFriday after two seasons and he went 40-27, including losing 14games this season and failing to lead the Wildcats into the NCAAtournament. "The challenge of being here is (not) competing for nationaltitles, but winning them," Calipari said. "But that's what youbuy into when you come here." And Kentucky has demonstrated its willing to pay whatever ittakes to back to that level. "We're the pre-eminent basketball program in the country and ifwe want a premier coach then that may be what it takes to get itdone," Barnhart said. Calipari's decision to take the job didn't come easy. He spentmore than a day mulling Kentucky's lucrative offer while reporterscamped outside his home. He told his Memphis players he was leaving during a meeting onTuesday evening before hopping a plane to Lexington. The universityreceived a faxed copy of the 20-page contract around 9 p.m. justbefore Calipari arrived in his new home. "This decision was extremely hard," Calipari said. "It wasn'tcoming here, this was easy. It was leaving Memphis. The supportthat my family and I received over the years there ... to walk awayfrom that was very difficult." Calipari had such strong ties to Memphis that after his UKintroduction, he was expected to fly back there for an afternoonnews conference outside his home. Memphis officials planned aseparate news conference to discuss the future of the program. It's a future Calipari said should include the highly toutedrecruits who have already committed to play for the Tigers nextyear. "What I would hope is all the players that signed at Memphiswill go to Memphis," Calipari said. "That's my hope." Besides, he thinks he should have his pick of the nation's topplayers at Kentucky. His first recruiting pitch may be to Kentuckystars Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks. Both were weighing whetherto head to the NBA. Having one of the nation's most successfulcoaches could help them change their mind. Calipari, 50, knows what he is getting into at Kentucky. He saidbefore he made his decision, he reached out to several formerWildcats coaches. "I talked to coach (Joe B.) Hall. I talked to Tubby Smith. Italked to Eddie Sutton. And I talked to Rick Pitino about this job.And ... none of those coaches would trade their time here foranything in the world. "This is pretty heady stuff for me." The numbers are dizzying, even if he said it wasn't about themoney. Calipari will be paid $3.7 million next season with a smallraise to $3.8 million 2010-2014. He'll receive $3,250,000 a yearfrom 2015-2017. He's also due retention bonuses averaging $1million a year between 2014-16. The contract is guaranteed, though the athletic department willpay just $400,000 a season. The rest of Calipari's salary will comefrom multi-media rights contract, said Barnhart. "If done correctly, the investment in a coach will pay foritself and yield returns for the overall program in general,"Barnhart said.

Calipari is 445-140 in 17 seasons, leading both Memphis andMassachusetts to the Final Four. He said he has long dreamed ofcoaching college basketball's winningest program. "This was a dream I've had since we brought our team downhere," Calipari said. "I believe it was 1992, we had won theAlaskan Shootout, came down here to play and I could not believethe environment. At that point I said - 'I would love to coachthere someday."' That day has come and he has Calipari has work to do. TheWildcats have not been in the Final Four the past 11 seasons. AndCalipari cautioned Kentucky's fan base not to expect too much toosoon, as he had informed Barnhart and university president LeeTodd. "I told Dr. Todd and Mitch, if you want something to happen ina year, do not hire me," Calipari said. "That's now how I dothings." Barnhart said after firing Gillispie that he wanted to hire acoach that embraced what the Kentucky job meant, on and off thecourt. Calipari sounded like he understood what they meant. "Our goals will be to make the entire commonwealth proud ofthis team, proud of their program, proud of their team by our workon the court and our integrity off the court," he said. Calipari's deal eclipses the $3.5 million average salary ofFlorida's Billy Donovan and dwarfs those of Calipari's predecessorsPitino, Smith and Gillispie. Pitino, now the coach at rival Louisville, never made more than$2 million a season during his remarkably successful eight-year runat Kentucky. Smith's compensation neared $2.1 million at the end ofhis decade with the program and Gillispie received a base salary of$2.3 million with another $750,000 available in incentives. The salary more than doubles the $1.6 million salary of Kentuckyfootball coach Rich Brooks, a rarity in a conference where footballreigns. Calipari has a reputation as one of the nation's bestrecruiters, and it's possible some of his latest recruits willfollow him to Lexington. Still, the cupboard is hardly bare atKentucky. At Kentucky he has the high-profile and rich history he lackedat Memphis and UMass. One look around the seven nationalchampionship banners around the school's glistening practicefacility offered proof. "They don't put banners up here for anything else exceptnational champions," he said. "That's why you want to coach here.We want to compete every year and hopefully add to this wall."

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